Wizard of Oz
Liverpool Empire
Flying into Liverpool from sell out performances at the London Palladium, musical classic The Wizard of Oz has been given a contemporary twist complete with additional songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
Starring Aston Merrygold of JLS fame as Tin Man and local legend / RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne as the Wicked Witch of the West, this is a colourful, technological masterpiece with stunning sets and costumes.
The key elements of the story are all unchanged. Dorothy (Aviva Tulley) and her dog Toto run away from home just as a tornado hits her Kansas farm. Her and Toto end up transported to Munchkinland in the land of Oz, with the only hope of getting home lying with the Wizard of Oz in Emerald City at the end of the Yellow Brick Road. Along the way, Dorothy meets The Scarecrow (Benjamin Yates), The Tin Man (Aston Merrygold) and The Cowardly Lion (Nic Greenshields). Together, they all embark on a journey of self-discovery whilst battling the Wicked Witch of the West (The Vivienne) who wants nothing more than to take the ruby slippers from Dorothy’s feet.
The cast of this show are incredible. Aviva Tulley delivers a flawless rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Given the iconic nature of the song and Judy Garland’s version, Tulley could easily have been lost in the song or produced a karaoke version. Thankfully this was not the case. Instead, she made the song her own and completely relevant for her Dorothy. Very few people would be able to improve on Judy Garland, yet somehow she did.
Benjamin Yates was the perfect scarecrow and full of energy, whilst Aston Merrygold brought his dance skills to the role of Tin Man with an amazing robot dance sequence. Nic Greenshields was hilarious as the cowardly lion, but also brought a warmth to the character that made him impossible not to love.
The Vivienne was total perfection as The Wicked Witch. The combination of camp and villainry created the ideal panto-style baddie. Her final exit was particularly impressive thanks to some clever set design.
The costuming throughout the production was also outstanding. Rachel Canning created colourful, highly detailed costumes which were full of sparkle. Our particular favourites were the pink poodle skirt worn by Glinda (Emily Bull) and the yellow almost air steward-esque costumes of the ensemble as part of the yellow brick road. The decision to dress each of the citizens of the Emerald City in a distinct style rather than be clones of one another in a uniform of green was a very welcome addition, as all too often the individuality of what is supposedly a city is completely erased by a “emerald is green, they should all wear the exact same green costume” mentality.
The props and sets of this show are amazing. The witches all ride on bikes, Toto is a puppet, and the yellow brick road moves around the stage. Coupled with projections on a screen and an abundance of dry ice, this is a big production which unfortunately sometimes becomes a bit too much. If just one or two elements had been toned down the entire production would have benefited. This isn’t to say it is bad, and we would definitely recommend the show, we would have just preferred some gaps in the technological wizardry to be able to fully appreciate it.
The Wizard of Oz is on at the Liverpool Empire until 7 January 2024, and is touring around the UK. Tickets are available on the Liverpool Empire website and range from £13 to £121 per person.
The show is also on at the Palace Theatre Manchester from 24 April to 5 May 2024. For the Manchester shows, tickets are available on the Palace Theatre website..
Full tour details can be found on the Wizard of Oz website.
Cover photo by Really Useful Group
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